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(No Model.)

8 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. J. KULAGE.

BRICK MACHINE.

No. 388,399. Patented May 22, 1888.

(No Model.)

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J. J. KULAGE. 3310K MAOHINE.

3 Sheet's-Sheet 3.

Patented Ma 22, 1888.

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UNiTnn Srnrns Parnnr JOSEPH J. KULAGE, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

BRlCK li/IACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 383,399, dated May" 22,1888.

Application filed August 30, 1886.

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J osnrn J. KULAGE, of St. Louis, Missouri, have madeanew and useful Improvement in Brick-Machines,of which the following isa full,clear, and exact description.

The present machine may be classified with those employing an upper anda lower plunger, the plungers moving vertically and opening apart fromeach other to admit between them the horizontally-moving chargerbringing the clay to the molds, and after the charger has been withdrawnclosing toward each other to form the bricks in the molds. In such ma- Jchines as hitherto made difficulty has arisen from the clay not beingproperly delivered, the finer particles dropping more into that end ofthe molds which is nearer to the side from which the charger is moved,and the coarser particles dropping more into that end of the molds whichis farther away.

The improvement relates to the means for obviating this difficulty. Italso has reference to the means for operating the charger,to the meansfor cushioning the fall of the lower plunger, and to other and minorfeatures, all substantiallyasishereinaftermoreparticularly described andclaimed, and illustrated in the annexed drawings, making part of thisspecification, and in which Figure l is a plan of theimproved machine.Fig. 2 is aside elevation. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on the line 3 3of Fig. 2, the parts being as when the bricks have been formed but notyet ejected from the molds. Fig. 4 is a section similar to that of Fig.3, the parts be ing as when the bricks have been ejected from the molds.Fig. 5 is a similar section, the parts being as when the plungers areopened farthest apart. Fig. 6 is a side elevation, partly insection,showing the parts as when the charger has nearly completed itsforward stroke. Fig. 7 is a vertical section showing the mold filledwith clay and the charger about to make its return-stroke. Fig. 8 is aside elevation from the inner side (opposite to that in Fig. 2) of oneof the uprights of the machine-frame, the strips used to confine thetoggle and plnngers being removed. Fig. 9 is a horizontal section on theline 9 9 of Fig.8, the confining-strip being shown attached to the innerface of the Serial No. 212,229. (No model.)

upright. Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the lower confining-strip. Fig.11 is an edge elevation of that strip, and Fig. 12 is a side ele+ vationof the upper confining-strip.

The same letters of reference denote the the upper links in turnarejointed to the crossbar I, which is adapted to be moved upward anddownward in the slots 0 in the uprights O O, and at the sides of theuprights respectively connected with the links K K, which lead downwardpast the upper plunger and connect with the cross-bar or lugs j j of thelower plunger, J. Said lugs, as shown, project, respectively, throughthe uprights and then into the links. The lower plunger is drawn up bythe links when the upper pluuger is moved downward; but the upperplunger can be drawn upward without dropping the lower plunger, for thelinks can drop and leave the lower plunger upheld by other means, andwhen the lower plunger is detached from those other means it simplyfallsinto its bearings in the lower enclof the links. Both plungers workupward and downward between the uprights O C, in combination with themold L and charger M, all substantially as in the brick machineheretofore (August 17, 1886) patented to me, saving as the constructionand operation are modified by the improvement now under consideration,which, more particularly described, consists as follows: As

these brickmachines have heretofore been made and operated, the clay isallowed to roll into the molds-that is, as the charger approaches themolds, the lower plunger has been lowered, so that the clay begins toenter the molds as soon as the charger begins to pass over the molds.Now,in a charger of the kind described, the finer particles of the clayfind their way to the bottom of the charger, leav- ICQ ing the coarserparticles at the top. The result of this is, that the finer particlesdrop more into that end of the mold which is toward the direction fromwhich the charger approaches, and the coarser particles pass more intothe other end of the molds. In consequence of this uneven distributionof the finer and coarser particles of the clay the bricks cannot beevenly pressed in the molds, and are therefore imperfectly made. Iovercome this difficulty by causing the charger with its contents to bebrought well over the molds before the lower plunger descends, so thatwhen that plunger is lowered the clay can drop substantially in avertical direction and the finer and the coarser particles of clay beevenly distributed throughout the length of the molds. This isaccomplished, preferably, by the following means: N N represent thehooks by which the lower plunger canbe connected at each stroke of theplunger momentarily with the upper plunger, thereby to cause thesub-plungers orprojections j of the lower plunger to eject the moldedbricks from the molds. By the term sub-plunger is simply meant theprojection or projections on the body of the lower plunger, J. The pointa of the hook in this operation engages with the shoulder j of the upperplunger, J, Figs. 3, 4., and 5, and the lower plunger is thereby liftedby the upper plunger until the hooks are detached from the shouldersjj;but in the place of employing the charger or some projection thereon toeffect the dislodgment of the hooks the defiectors n, as they may betermed, are used. These deflectors are attached to the uprights,respectively, and as the lower plunger rises the hooks, which at theupper end are suitably shaped to coact with the deflectors, encounterthe deflectors, and are thereby sprung outward from the shoulders j. Thelower plunger would now drop, as in the previously-constructed machinesreferred to, were it not for the hooks O. The hooks N are shaped toengage with the hooks O, and when the deflectors n have acted todislodge the hooks N from the shoulders j the upper plunger risessufficiently to bring the projection of the upper plunger against thepoint a of the hooks N, and the last-named hooks are thereby heldoutward, so as to bring them into engagement with the hooks O, as shownin Fig. 4. The downward movement of the lower plunger is therebyarrested and the sub-plunger j of the lower plunger upheld in the molds,as shown in Fig. 6. The lower plunger remains in this position until theupper plunger has been lifted sufliciently for the projection 7' to passupward past the point a of the hooks N, whereupon the springs P, whichare attached to and movewith the lower plunger and constantly pressagainst the hooks N, act to disengage the hooks N from the hooks O, andthe lower plunger in consequence drops into the position of Figs. 5 and7. It is during theinterval while the lower plunger is thus applied bythe hooks O that the charger moves into the position of Fig. 6. Thisinterval can be prolonged or shortened to, suit the movement ofthecharger, by correspondingly lengthening or shortening vertically theprojection j".

In the machines referred to it has been a troublesome matter to operatethe charger properly. In its movement it is apt to rock, in onedirection bearing at one end upon its trackway and in the otherdirection hearing at the other end. One side of the charger, also, isliable to be advanced beyond the opposite side. To correct this, thecharger-arms m are extended past the gear-wheels A A, Figs. 1, 2,'and 6,and are united by the crossbar m, Fig. 1. They are also, by means of thelinks m jointed to the base-plate Q, or other fixed part of the machine,beyond the center of the gear-wheels.

The rollers miwhich are adapted to operate, in connection with the camsa, upon the gearwheels, are made adjustable upon the chargerarms, sothat they can be set closer to or farther from the charger, for the camsa are liable to be worn and the movement of the charger therebyimproperly affected; but by means of the described adjustment therollers m can be shifted to suit the wear, and by means of theconnection of the charger-arms with the baseplate, as described, andwith each other, as de scribed, the charger can be properly moved to andfro to effect its customary work.

The fall of the lower plunger is cushioned by means of the piston R,Figs. 3 and 4, working in 'the air cylinder It. As the piston descends,the air beneath escapes partly upward past the periphery of the pistoninto the upper part of the cylinder R and partly intothe collapsible andexpansible bag R Fig. 6, the movement of the air being sufficiently slowto properly cushion the downward movement of the plunger, which isconnected with the piston R by means of the rod 0". As the piston rises,the air above escapes downward past the valve 1, and it also returnsfrom the bag B into the cylinder. In this manner the air can be usedover and over again, and no dust from without can find its way into thecylinder.

It is frequently desirable to get at the working parts immediatelywithin the uprights O 0. Accordingly, the uprights are provided with theremovable strips 0 Figs. 2, 10, and 11, and 0 Figs. 2 and 12. By firsttaking these strips off the uprights the plungers, toggle, and partsthereto more immediately belonging can be readily reached and, ifdesired, removed from their places.

Steam, by meansof the flexible pipes S, Fig.5, can be admitted into thepassages 8 within the plungers, and thereby caused to heat the plungcrs,so that the clay will not adhere thereto.

I clain 1. In a brick machine and in combination with thevertically-movable upper and lower plungers, J and J, the formershouldered at j and the latter carrying the spring-actuated hooks N, thedeflector and sustaining-hooks independent of either plunger, whereby inOp eration the lower plunger is arrested and the sub-plunger momentarilyupheld as the charge is moved over the mold.

2. The combination of the lower plunger, 5 the hooks N, the upperplunger having the shoulder j, the deflectors, the hooks O, and thesprings P, substantially as described.

3. The combination of the charger M, the arms m, the link m thebase-plate Q, the adro justable rollers m and the gears A A, having camsa, substantially as described.

4. The combination of the arms m, the ad justable rollers m and thegears A A, having the cams a, as described.

5. The combination of the plunger J, the r 5 cylinder R, the piston R,and the bag R as described.

6. The combination of the plunger J, the piston R, the valve 1*, thecylinder R, and the bag R, as described. 2

7. The uprights having the removable strips 0 0 as described.

Witness my hand.

JOSEPH J. KULAGE.

Witnesses:

O. D. MooDY, J. W. HOKE.

